Ahmadu Usman Dahiru; Samuel Adeniyi Ojo; Ahmed Umdagas Hamidu & Barnabas Danborno

Various papers in the fields of Radiology, orthopaedics and radiographic anatomy have employed the use of angles measured on X-rays to make diagnoses, select treatment modalities in the management of foot disorders as well as predicting the outcome of interventions to these disorders. Calcaneal pitch (CP) and lateral talocalcaneal angle (L TCA) are angles that can be drawn on lateral standing radiographs of the foot and are used widely in the diagnosis, prognosis and choice of treatment modalities for various disorders of the foot. Data on these important radiological tools are lacking in Nigeria. Hence, the study is an attempt to bridge this gap. Using a hinge goniometer, the angles were measured from normal lateral standing radiographs of the foot. Mean CP was found to be 15.08 ± 2.87 (n=63) and the mean L TCA was found to be 38.85°±8.20° (n=130). Differences in the means of the angles seen between the sexes were not statistically significant (CP, p=0.70; L TCA, p=0.60). No such significant difference was also observed in mean of the angles with respect to the sides of the body (CP, p=0.58; L TCA, p=0.13) or between ethnic groups (CP, p=0.30; L TCA, p=0.40).

KEY WORDS: Calcaneal pitch; Lateral talocalcaneal angle; Nigerians.

DAHIRU, A. U.; OJO, S. A.; HAMIDU, A. U. & DANBORNO, B. Calcaneal pitch and lateral talocalcaneal angle among Nigerians. Int. J. Morphol., 31(2):528-532, 2013.